1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical instruments and particularly to jaw retractors, also known as mouth gags, for positioning and retaining the jaws in a desired open position during mouth surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention is an improvement of an instrument known as the Dingman mouth gag which permits adjustment in only one dimension, namely, between the alveolus retractors and the tongue retractor. Except for lateral adjustability, the alveolus retractors of the Dingman gag are mounted on an upper bar of a rigid frame to coact with the tongue retractor which is carried by a lower bar of the frame for adjustable movement toward and away from the upper bar and its relatively fixed alveolus retractors whereby separation of the jaws is determined and maintained.
There is an urgent need to correct the restrictive nature of this prior art mouth gag and provide a practical device for use in facial reconstruction involving an unstable jaw, that is, a jaw hinged at only one side due to injury to or degenerative disease of the other side and also for use where the patient's teeth and gumline are not bilaterally symmetrical.